Upper Tamar Lake Sailing Club race report — Sunday, March 19

Barnwell Four

THE NEW racing season at Upper Tamar Lake Sailing Club finally got underway on Sunday, March 19.

After two weeks of postponements due to poor weather and mighty strong winds, there were a few gritty enthusiasts – four in the end, in two Toppers and one two-handed Bosun – who were prepared to ignore forecasts of 20mph winds with 30mph gusts to get their season started.

And indeed, on the day, the lake looked more benign than might have been expected with none of the sinister white horses and evil foamy slicks that the previous Sundays had subjected them too.

Officers of the day, Cilla Gilbert and Graham Joyce, who were counselled by Nicky Buckett, chose a course that kept the fleet away from the further reaches of the lake; easier, they felt, for the safety boat to get to any trouble quickly. That meant a short course, and, with plenty of wind making for fast sailing, five laps were required to give the race a reasonable duration.

Elliot Pomeroy in a Topper had capsized before the start, but that didn’t stop him giving close chase to Nathan Pollard, who had crossed the line first, on the way down to Inlet buoy. Unfortunately Pomeroy capsized before he got there, leaving the Bosun, with Brian Pollard at the helm and Adam Hilton crewing, to round the buoy in a very close second.

The beat across to Middle buoy was followed by a very broad reach back to Dam Green, which the boats took at great speed, the Bosun with a bow wave so high it threatened to fill the boat with water. Fortunately by the time the fleet reached Dam Green the wind had been blanketed by the hill behind and conditions were comparatively moderate for the gybe round the buoy.

The second lap saw the boats well spread out with Nathan Pollard’s Topper having extended its lead when planing back up the lake.

Lap three was more eventful; Pomeroy went over at the beginning and retired and at the end the Bosun, which had seemed uncertain whether to gybe or granny tack at Dam Green throughout the race, managed to get the rudder one way and the boom the other, resulting in a capsize. This was shortly followed by the boat turning turtle and it proved a long and arduous job for the crew and the safety boat team of Paul Anderson and Jane Chadney to get it upright again and tow the water-filled Bosun back to the pontoon.

Not to be left out of all the madness, Nathan Pollard executed a dry capsize on his fourth lap but went on to cross the finish line after 35 eventful minutes of racing. He was the only one, in a perfect start.

Winner: Nathan Pollard (Topper)

Retired: E Pomeroy (Topper) & B Pollard & A Hilton (Bosun)

Thanks were given to Paul Anderson and Jane Chadney (safety boat) and to Cilla Gilbert and Graham Joyce (Officers of the day) for their help on the day.